Beware narrower roads in busy Central Jakarta, as construction of a major section of phase 2 of Jakarta’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) railway system begins today.
Jakarta Transportation Agency Chief Syafrin Liputo said a major phase of the subway construction, which mostly involves boring underground tunnels, will commence from Aug. 18 to Oct. 14.
“The site of the construction of MRT Phase 2 CP-202 stretches from Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk, from the Harmoni intersection to Mangga Besar. This is for three MRT stations, namely Harmoni, Sawah Besar, and Mangga Besar,” Syafrin said.
Starting today, from the Harmoni intersection to the intersection with Jalan KH Hasyim Asyari, both Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk — which run parallel to each other — is reduced to two regular lanes and two TransJakarta lanes.
From the Jalan KH Hasyim Asyari intersection to the Mangga Besar intersection, only three lanes of either major road are open.
Pegged as one of the solutions to Jakarta’s infamous traffic congestion, the first phase of the MRT launched in mid-2019 connecting Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Central Jakarta.
Lanes of major roads being shut to accommodate the phase 1 construction was a painful necessity for Jakartans, as the project led to even more maddening traffic jams in the commercial heart of the capital for several years.
Phase 2 will expand the line further north. The phase is split into two segments, namely 2A, a 5.8 kilometer line connecting Hotel Indonesia Roundabout to Harmoni (which includes CP-202), and 2B, which will connect Harmoni with Kota. Phase 2A is targeted for launch in April 2025, while 2B is targeted for launch in 2027.
